Buchholz closes in on trophy

Thursday

Oct 25, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 26, 2012 at 2:56 AM

For the Buchholz Bobcats, they couldn't have picked a better time to go on a winning streak.

By Larry SavageStaff writer

For the Buchholz Bobcats, they couldn't have picked a better time to go on a winning streak. With back-to-back District 1-7A victories, including Thursday's 31-10 homecoming win over Ocala Forest at Citizens Field, the Bobcats have gone from dreaming of reaching the state playoffs to perhaps reaching them. Buchholz will be big Tallahassee Chiles fans tonight because if the Timberwolves beat West Port in Ocala, the Bobcats will clinch the runner-up spot in the district, and with it, a playoff berth. But should the Wolf Pack pull it out, no worries. The Bobcats will just need to increase their season-long win streak of two to three as West Port visits Citizens Field next Thursday. “It is just happening at the right time,” said Buchholz first-year coach Mark Whittemore, who after a 45-7 home loss to Tallahassee Lincoln three weeks ago was 2-4 and 0-1 in the district. “We had three district games and our goal all along as a team was to get back to the playoffs.“We haven't been in the playoffs in three years. It has always been a hallmark of Buchholz football to be in the playoffs. We really want to re-establish Buchholz football, and we believe that starts with the playoffs. Obviously we would like more wins than four, but that is what we have right now.” Inspired by their 48-28 district win on the road at Tallahassee Chiles last week, the Bobcats enter Thursday's game with Forest needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Wildcats, losers of three straight, needed the same. Ahead only 14-10 after three quarters, Buchholz (4-5 overall, 2-1 in District 1) seized control in the fourth, getting 17 unanswered points, with Bryce Goston tossing a 48-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Ivey, his second scoring catch of the night, and Kenny Scott capping it off with an eight-yard touchdown run, giving him 110 for night. “Forest did a great job in the first half taking away Kenny Scott, our main playmaker,” Whittemore said. “We were forced to kind of play defense. It was a good old fashioned knock down, drag out first half. We made some adjustments, and really Bryce Goston had a heck of a third and fourth quarter throwing the football. We were able to come up big in the passing department.” Goston finished with 186 yards passing, hitting on 5-of-9 attempts in the second half, in which he threw for 131 and two scores. His first TD pass to Ivey, a 29-yard strike midway in the third, gave Buchholz a 14-3 lead. Forest closed the gap to four when quarterback Jake Roddenberry ran for an 18-yard touchdown with 2:25 left in the third. But the fourth turned out to be all Buchholz, as the Wildcats had the football for just six plays, two of which ended with interceptions by Kevin Jenkins and Peter Emery. “We really wanted to be defense first this year, and that showed tonight by allowing that team just 10 points,” Whittemore said. “We want to be tough on the line of scrimmage and control the game with our defense. We got turnovers, we got picks, we have forced 10 fumbles this year. That is what we want to be known for, as an optimistic club. I'm really please with how the kids fought tonight.” “We get the ball backed up on a bad punt and we get two chop block calls which cost us 30 yards,” said Forest coach David Hodges, whose team dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-2 in district. “We score there and this thing is a ballgame in the fourth quarter. It got out of hand with us.”

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